The Wolf's Rose
by Yveltal Master
Summary: Ever since she first met the wolf a month after Eglė Laurinaitė disappeared into the woods, Barbara Łukasiewicz found herself sneaking off every full moon to meet the beautiful creature whose sad eyes reminded her of the lost best friend she fell in love with. Little did she know that such beauty wasn't without its own darkness. LietPol Fairytale AU inspired by the story "Tam Lin".
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Hetalia, Poland and Lithuania don't belong to me. **

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><p>Nobody could not deny that she was beautiful, even as a child. Her clear eyes were emerald green and partially hooded by heavy, long-lashed eyelids. Her long, golden hair was straight and silky, and her skin was like alabaster. The young Barbara Łukasiewicz not only had looks, she had everything to live for. Born to nobility, the rulers of the land of Szmaragd to be precise, she wanted for nothing, and during her birth, many a bard across the land sang of the beauty and goodness of the Golden Rose. Naturally, she was one of the most eligible nobles on the continent, and her parents felt assured that their only daughter's future was secure.<p>

Not everything the songs spread were true, however. In fact, some of them were exaggerations and others were but fabrications. Though Barbara was inarguably a beauty, and dressed in the finest clothes, she was far from the perfect little princess that she was thought of to be. The girl might have known how to behave in front of her parents, loved how others doted on her and enjoyed wearing the beautiful dresses she had, but in her was also difficult personality that oftentimes got her into trouble. Few outside the palace knew this, but anyone who dealt with her and crossed her path more than once knew better.

Barbara was, first of all, loud and far from elegant. She ran and skipped rather than walked slowly, and those who heard the words coming out from between her soft, pink lips described her speech as too energetic, lacking in dignity and almost peasant-like. She was also proud and stubborn, childishly so, oftentimes wanting things to go her way. Neither was she content with sitting pretty and making acquaintances with just anyone. Often, nobles from neighboring countries came to visit, more often than not bringing their children with them. She, however, found herself uncomfortable around them and swiftly judged most of them to be obnoxious and difficult to hide this anxiety. She wanted nothing to do with Prince Gilbert of Blau, or his cousin Roderich, and neither did she show any interest towards the seemingly dashing Count Antonio of Sangre. Barbara would do almost exactly the same thing every time. The princess would either yell at her visitors or hide behind her parents' back, much to the latter's displeasure, would almost always end up getting her way, going off on own in the end and disappointing the royals. You see, she really was far from perfect, and sometimes, Queen Rozalia wondered if this was just a childish phase she was bound to outgrow, as they truly did wish that her only daughter be less difficult.

With the way she was, one might wonder whether she really had any true friends to call her own at all. Surprisingly, she did, and it could be said that Barbara's best friend was probably the last person one would expect. Stubborn and difficult she might have been, but she wasn't without a good heart, free, playful spirit and a certain need for breathing room outside the luxurious palace she had been raised in. Her friend was an unconventional one, yet she never really saw this, nor did she care in the first place.

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><p>"Eglė, you're late!" Seven-year-old Barbara teased as she beckoned her best friend from the shade of the birch tree she was sitting under. The eight-year-old brunette who came carrying two small wooden swords was tall for her age, easily towering over Barbara by a good head despite being only nine moons older. She gave one to the princess, who accepted enthusiastically. "Ready?" The blonde asked as she stood up, brushing the hem of her striped skirt, a wide smile on her face, and her green eyes dancing. She loved afternoons like this, where escape was easy and the servants were more than willing to cover up for her in the event that her mother asked. Eglė nodded and smiled, before taking on a mock serious expression as she held out her sword, her long, chestnut braid whipping behind her. Barbara stuck out her sword arm, narrowing her eyes and grinning. "C'mon! Give up already, broski," she laughed. With Eglė, she felt freer and found it easier to be herself and there was no shouting or hiding around her. Truth be told, the young princess often felt stifled by the palace, lessons, expectations and whatnot. Though there were things she simply loved about being highborn, she sometimes couldn't help but wish that she wasn't born royal. She loved her parents, but sometimes, they expected too much from her. Eglė, however, saw her as just her, Barbara. Not the princess, not someone to handle with care, but rather, just the girl that she was.<p>

"Not so fast! I'll beat you again and you know it!" The brunette shot back, a smirk breaking the serious expression that she put on. Barbara had won two days ago, and Eglė saw that her best friend was improving quickly, though she was confident that today was her day, just as it was the day before. Eglė Laurinaitė was far from royalty, though her father was one of King Casimir Łukasiewicz's soldiers. Raised with simple values, this young maiden was gentle, friendly and even somewhat shy, but not without being firm and tough at the same time. She knew what the most beautiful flowers were but at the same time, was also skilled with the sword from a young age. While she sometimes found the princess at her worst to be difficult, she had a way with her that nobody else had, something she earned the first day the both of them met.

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><p><em>November, three years prior<em>

_Five-year-old Barbara was crossing the soldiers' dining room, making her way to the palace kitchen while trying not to get caught and fully intending to taste the chocolate cake that her parents had promised for her birthday dinner that night. The thought of the rich, sweet brown cake was enough to make the young girl's mouth water, and she definitely did not enjoy waiting. Seeing the doors wide open, she picked up her skirts and ran as quickly as she could in her mint green silk slippers, weaving her way around tall, broad-shouldered uniformed men, some of them looking at her with either amusement or annoyance as she skirted by. So excited was she, that she did not notice that a young girl had crossed her path. Said girl gave a gasp as the blonde collided with her, and she ended up sprawled on the marble floor, a familiar blonde right on top of her._

_Barbara recovered first, and pushed her small body upwards, only to find that she had fallen right on top of a young girl who had curling dark hair that reached her waist and who wore a girl's bodice and blouse with trousers. She never once saw a girl in trousers, her parents had told her when she first asked that only men wore them, yet seeing them on a girl for the first time, she did not find herself appalled. In fact, she liked them on her, and for a moment imagined how she would look like wearing a pair. _

_The girl's eyes fluttered open, and the princess stood up and moved aside, allowing the former to sit up. The brunette's eyes were green, not the sharp green of emeralds; but rather, tinged with a little blue that reminded one of the sea. She rubbed the back of her head as she looked at the little golden-haired culprit, who looked back and couldn't help but stick her hand out to help her up. _

"_Get up! My arm already hurts okay," the blonde complained, pouting. The dark-haired girl laughed as she accepted the delicate, soft hand with her work-hardened one and got up with ease, shaking back her long waves. Her attacker looked the princess, and if she indeed was, she was likely up to her own brand of mischief once again. "Does it hurt so much that you couldn't even say your name," the princess taunted, planting her small hands on her skirted hips. "I'm Barbara," she added, pointing at herself. The brunette realized that she was facing the princess after all; the casual manner of speaking gave the latter away. Somehow, she forgot her manners and immediately started talking, not wanting the blonde to think that such a small bump on the head could rob her of something as simple as her speech._

"_Hello Barbara, I'm Egl__ė. Are you alright?" The girl, Egle, asked after introduced herself, before suddenly realizing that she called the princess by her first name. She silently scolded herself, thankful that her father hadn't heard her. Rather than feel insulted however, Barbara found herself smiling. __Egl__ė had called her by her first name! Immediately, she knew that she liked the taller girl standing in front of her, and thus, did not wish to or even bother to correct her. Here was someone who called her by her normal first name, without any of the titles and stuffiness._

"_Of course I am! Better than you at least__. I'm not a weak princess like Roderich," Barbara answered with mock indignation, recalling one particularly feminine prince of Blau, before grabbing __Egl__ė by her arm. "Let's be friends," She announced, before dragging the brunette towards the kitchen. Despite her small size, she was stronger than she looked, something __Egl__ė just realized. "Want some chocolate cake? I'll get you the best slice, before those stupid old men eat all of it tonight," Barbara offered without waiting for a reply. From the first moment, she already liked __Egl__ė, and she wasn't about to let her go._

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><p>The sun was setting, and the two girls sat under the cool shade of the birch tree, the last of the late summer heat fading from the air. As she herself had predicted earlier, Eglė won, sticking her wooden sword under the smaller girl's chin. She had to admit, however, that Barbara was improving a lot. The princess was small yet swift, and she had gone a long way ever since her first lesson in the winter after they met. Eglė herself had been taught how to handle a toy sword ever since she was three and a half. She initially was surprised that her best friend took an interest in her father's sword of all things, but she learned that Barbara was a determined and stubborn girl. <em>A beautiful maiden, but with the fire of a warrior somewhere inside<em>, the tall brunette recalled her father saying when her best friend touched his sword for the first time.

"Why do you make it so hard for me?" Barbara complained, lamenting over her loss once more. She knew that her best friend had a lot more experience, but she couldn't help but crave the satisfaction of winning at her favorite pastime. Eglė grinned mischievously as she wrapped her hand around Barbara's right arm, the arm that used to be so soft, but had now grown firm.

"I gave you a hard time because you're getting better, Basia. Didn't you win two days ago? Look, your arm doesn't get always get tired now," she explained, calling her friend by her pet name and remembering that fragment of a memory from the day they first met. Barbara still had the tendency to be proud, and Eglė wanted to show her that sometimes, winning wasn't everything. Taking one of the swords, she held it out to her friend, who looked at her, confused. "Take it, I want you to practice some more and get even better. When you win again, I'll give you some of my old breeches," she explained, her friend grinning excitedly upon hearing the word "breeches" and taking the sword. Eglė knew how much her friend particularly liked how trousers looked, just as much as beautiful dresses. Barbara replied with a tight hug. She wasn't going to disappoint her closest friend who was firm but kind, who understood her, and whom she loved with all her heart.

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><p><strong>Hey guys! Here's my first story, which is saying a lot because I was the girl who often averaged a C+ in high school when it came to writing. I'm a huge Hetalia fan, and my favorite pairings are LietPol, DenNor and Spamano! ^_^<strong>

**This story was based on the folk tale "Tam Lin", with a few alterations, our two main characters knowing each other in their youth. Of course, something's bound to happen later on! ;) This will be the first of a series fairytale adaptations using LietPol. Of course this takes place in a fictional world with fictional countries, as I don't want to end up messing with actual facts, and this is the only way I could incorporate a Fey court without butchering things up.**

**As you can see, both Poland and Liet are genderbent here. As for how I chose their names, I wanted something that sounded simple, powerful and not too girly for Fem!Liet, as she's the daughter of a soldier here. For Fem!Poland, I wanted a name that sounded feminine, but strong. Hence, they're ****Egl****ė and Barbara (Basia). **

**I wanted to portray Poland (genderbent or not) without succumbing to how the fandom "Flanderizes" his character. I often see him being written as someone who speaks purely in Valley Girl speech, crossdressing and wearing only pink _all the_**_** damn time** _**and often without substance. Often, he's relegated to being a supporting character in fairytale retellings as well. I wanted to show both feminine and masculine traits in Barbara at the same time, and make her a well-balanced girl. She can be shy, likes being spoiled and enjoys chocolate cake, but also talks casually, is rambunctious rather than elegant and loves swordfighting. She likes beautiful dresses, but also likes trousers. After all, if Poland had a thing for fashion…wouldn't he be into in all kinds of interesting clothes in all colors and not purely skirts or the color pink? I want to show that she has both strength and courage in her, important things that she needs as she grows up and faces both the unknown and the unexpected like the heroine almost nobody expected her to be.**

**As for Lithuania, I wanted to portray his counterpart here as someone who's kind and accepting, but also strong and firm at the same time, a girl who'd be honest with her best friend without fear and later on, prove to be someone with a strong will who could resist orders from her captors and have a mind of her own rather than blindly following, even if her circumstances force her to do something terrible, and her old feelings are put to the test. I wanted Eglė to be a heroine in her own right as well, someone who will prove to have both backbone and as a good heart.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello readers! Here's an update as a joint Christmas and New Year's present! ^_^**

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><p><em>Szmaragd Palace, July, Six Years Later<em>

"Kirkland! What are these rumors I've been hearing over the past two months about sightings of the Wild Hunt? Did you not assure me that this was a phenomenon that only occurs in Brittania?" King Casimir paced back and forth in front of his gilded throne, lines of worry and concern marring his handsome face. Next to him stood a younger man garbed in robes of rich forest green. He was Arthur Kirkland of Brittania: the King's chief adviser, as well as his court magician. Now, Arthur was no stranger to these rumors of the otherworldly procession occurring outside his home country. In the past year, his closest friends, the travelling wizards Lukas Thomassen and Gavril Ionescu had passed on disturbing information from the lands of Vinter and Dacia, respectively, as well as other places on the continent. He, however, decided at that time to keep King Casimir in the dark about it, holding on to the possibility that the Wild Hunt would not be sighted in Szmaragd. Nothing good ever came out of the presence of the Fair Folk. Disappearances often followed after initial sightings, and nobody came back to tell the tale.

"Your Majesty, I had hoped that perhaps, this land might be spared from these appearances. Szmaragd is not the first, however. Thomassen and Ionescu have been corresponding with me for the past year, and it appears that the otherworld's dominion has expanded. Who knows how high a price their High Court paid to secure such power?" Arthur replied as calmly as he could, shaking his head. His studies made him know all too well the nature of such bargains the Fey made to the dark god. Unsuspecting people would often fall victim to solitary members of the Fey disguised as seemingly normal humans who wandered crossroads and forests, and as far as he knew, all of them were taken away and never seen again. The only solution he had was to suggest that the forests be forbidden to wander in for the safety of Szmaragd's people, but at what price? He knew very well that people had livelihoods, and he did not intend to deprive them of their jobs. Still, the last thing he wanted was to get on the King's bad side, which was rarely seen but definitely existed.

"Say, do you know for certain where the Wild Hunt has been rumored to be sighted, sire?" He finally asked, knowing that it was worth a try to find out, in order for him to decide the best course of action to take. From the cases on the continent, occurrences were not typically spread out but rather, isolated in particular places. What was dangerous was when said places happened to be in the vicinity of large towns.

"I've heard two from Srebro, one close to the border in Kryształ and…three in Feniks Las." The king replied as he turned and sat on his throne, the worry more evident in his voice when he mentioned the forest. Feniks Las was not so far from the palace, and was in fact one of his daughter's favorite playgrounds whenever she was with her best friend, the soldier's child. Srebro and Kryształ were in the south of the country and were not large towns, though they lay near woods as well. On one hand, he knew that something had to be done, as disappearances were never good news. On the other hand, Casimir was a just king who could not bear the thought of tearing his people away from their livelihoods. He gave Arthur a sharp look, and the magician nodded as he decided to give the advice he thought of as he heard the latter speak. He was relieved that the sightings occurred in two small towns that were easy to evacuate, but Feniks Las was an entirely different matter.

"Your Majesty, Srebro and Kryształ are smaller villages. I believe that evacuations are possible. Feniks Las, however, is but two hours away on horseback. If the Wild Hunt has indeed been spotted thrice, then this is not a good sign. I believe that your daughter and her friend enjoy riding there? It is no longer a safe place, sire…I'm sorry," Arthur suggested, his face taking on a grim expression as he spoke of the forest and apologized. It pained him to take away the joy of the princess' childhood, the girl whom he had grown very fond of; but this was an entirely different matter, one of safety. Small sacrifices had to be made, no matter how painful they were. The king listened to his adviser carefully, taking in every word he said, before rising and walking down the steps of his throne, his sunset-colored velvet cloak billowing like flames.

"I will take in the residents of the village and compensate them. There will be work for them, and I assure that none of them will go without work and food. As for Feniks Las, I will issue a decree forbidding entrance into the woods. The last thing I want is another disappearance, whether commoner or my daughter." He decided, his steps slow and purposeful as he walked beside Arthur out of the throne room.

_October_

"Basia, are you sure about this? I have a feeling that this isn't a good idea," Eglė murmured as she tied the bridle of her father's golden stallion to the low-hanging branches of a nearby tree. Now fourteen years old, she had grown tall, lithe and womanly, though she still kept her long, silky hip-length hair tied in its usual single braid. As she and Barbara had strayed away from the festivities of the royal harvest festival on the latter's suggestion, she was still wearing her fine clothes, consisting of a dark vest over a white blouse with puffed sleeves, and a wide blue skirt striped with green. Not the most ideal clothes for riding astride, as she and the princess did, but the latter insisted and she frankly did not know what was with Feniks Las and the past few months, that was, until the moment she dismounted. Perhaps it was an overactive "soldier's sense" that she might have inherited from her father, or the cautionary stories about otherworldly beings from a different realm that she remembered hearing from Arthur as a child; stories that Barbara, after hearing them, declared weren't true and only served to make little girls sit around. Whatever the reason was, a small part of her developed a healthy sense of caution which, unfortunately, her best friend seemed to lack outside of the latter's anxiety towards meeting some people.

"Pshaw! Like that's going to stop us, Eglė! We've done this for years!" Barbara replied cockily as she hopped off her horse, a beautiful jet-black stallion that she received November of the previous year for her thirteenth birthday. "Besides, Arthur's just being Arthur again," she continued, securing her horse's reins onto some branches. She had taken to riding at the age of nine, and grew up to be a surprisingly excellent horsewoman. Unlike most princesses, however, she wasn't one to settle for a pretty but docile pony, or an elegant white mare. No, the princess only wanted the fastest, most beautiful stallion she could find, which led her to choose Merkurijus, aptly named by Eglė's father in the beautiful language of Vilkas, the land of his family and ancestors. She insisted that Tomas name the majestic beast, as he was someone she considered her second father ever since becoming friends with his lovely daughter, as well as her first riding teacher. Thirteen-year-old Barbara was a beauty, her smooth golden tresses reaching her waist, her emerald eyes just as vivid, her nose straight and her body slim and petite. Her height, a mere five feet and two inches to Eglė's five feet and eight inches, coupled with her love for beauty, belied a certain toughness that was more accurately represented by her strong hands and the lean muscles she gained over the years. Unlike Eglė, and perhaps because of her more sheltered life, Barbara wasn't one to believe in things she didn't see in front of her, especially not the cautionary tales Arthur would narrate. For her, to see was to believe. Arthur's capacity for magic was one thing she saw, but the subject of otherworldly beings was another matter for her, one that was unimportant and a product of most people's need for control.

"But you haven't even been to Brittania, haven't you, Basia? You shouldn't dismiss him so easily," Eglė cautioned as the two looked around. Feniks Las was beautiful in autumn. Well, the whole country of Szmaragd was known for its glorious Golden Autumn, which was a time for harvest and festivities. Eglė and Barbara particularly enjoyed taking part in mock swordfights, their favorite victims by far being the nobles from Blau, _especially_ poor Roderich, the clumsy, stuffy prince. This year was different, however, and the brunette found herself dragged into one of her best friend's wild schemes again, and a potentially dangerous one.

Barbara never told Eglė of her reasons for taking off from the celebration. Many would have found the young princess shallow and ungrateful, but as for the princess herself, she found her reasons perfectly sound. More young nobles had arrived, many with intentions that went far beyond partaking in the festivities. Intentions that made Barbara want to avoid them for once. Ever since she turned thirteen years old, the King and Queen started actively accepting visits from potential suitors. Though she was older, the princess retained her wariness around them when it came to the topic of potential marriages, and usually found herself avoiding said nobles. She enjoyed the dressing up part, but she did not know why such things had to be arranged even if she did not even _like_ said suitors. There was only one person in the world whom she felt comfortable giving her heart to, and that was the girl who stood next to her at the edge of the autumn woods, watching the falling leaves, their red and gold color so much like the creature of the forest's namesake, dance as they dropped from the trees. Growing up alongside the soldier's girl, who was tough yet tender, both strong and beautiful, who understood her perfectly and saw her as more than a prize to be won, started awakening in Barbara a whole slew of different feelings, feelings that she feared her best friend might not return, in addition to being forbidden in the first place. For it was unheard of and taboo in the Royal House of Łukasiewicz that a lady fall in love with another woman, especially one considered so far below her post. To act on her feelings was to shame the Royal House, and to potentially destroy her friendship with Eglė, and the last thing the princess wanted was to lose her dearest friend. She could live with throwing her noble life away, a life that demanded much from her despite her love for beauty and luxury, but to live without Eglė, the most beautiful in her eyes, was an entirely different matter.

The girls walked side by side, Barbara occasionally slipping her arm over Eglė's and pulling her forward as they traipsed the woods that was their playground for most of their tender youth. The older brunette girl walked with steady, though slightly cautious steps. She was not afraid, but she noticed the slight chill in the air, a little colder than usual for October, and she knew better than to think that there was no real reason for the woods to be forbidden. Still, she relished her time alone with the princess, who was stirring in her a different kind of emotion, one she couldn't exactly put her finger on, but knew it was something that made her feel so good and so happy to be around the younger girl, though she still wished that said girl would listen to her more often. The blonde on the other hand was livelier, a bounce in her walk, her green-and-red skirts fluttering. The woods made her feel young once again, taking her back to an idyllic time where she did not have to worry about expectations, escape and especially suitors. Unlike her friend, she did not notice the breeze that had a hint of frost in it. Stepping over roots and bending under a few low branches, they eventually reached a clearing and stopped at its edge. The autumn trees ringed the glade, and an old stone well stood in the middle of the leaf-covered ground. Normally, they would have continued walking, if not for a sight that they did not expect.

A tall young woman stood by the well, her intense midnight-colored eyes trained on the pair. Eglė met her eyes first, while Barbara first looked behind, then met the eyes of the stranger with a challenging stare.

"Hello. Call me Natalia." The stranger said. Her voice had a slight hint of frostiness, like the winter, and her eyes lingered on the lovely brunette with eyes like the sea.

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><p><strong>I know it took so long, but here it is! School can be pretty demanding sometimes. Yes, a cliffhanger…but you guys kind of know what to expect next, right? ;)<strong>

**I needed to introduce some magical characters that know of the otherworld, so that Barbara will learn to let go of her short-sightedness, and know how to deal with darker magic, especially when it involve****s Eglė later on! I chose to give Eglė a healthier sense of caution, so that it will make Barbara learn to take responsibility for her actions and learn to put others before herself, especially when it's the girl she's falling in love with.**

**Yes, Roderich is a butt monkey here…I needed a target, and he seemed the perfect one for this setting. ^_^**

**Barbara's dad got his name from Civilization V, hehe. As to why I named her stallion "Mercury", I always thought that Feliks would be a child of Hermes if Hetalia characters were demigods in Camp Half-Blood, hehe. Many Flanderizations might shoehorn him into being a child of Aphrodite, but to me, he seems a lot more like a child of Hermes. ^_^**

**Hope you guys like it! I hope to update sooner as well.**


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